Journey: Silk Road

There is no journey on earth to rival the mystique and romance conjured up by the Silk Road. Connecting the east and west across Central Asia, this route has beguiled travellers since the time of Marco Polo, drawn to its exotic cities and staging posts and its dramatic and foreboding landscapes. As a transit for not only silk and other precious goods, but technology, religious beliefs and great armies, the Silk Road has been an important historical region for millennia, from the time of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane to the spies and agents of the Great Game in the 19th century. Much of the region in Central Asia was cut off under communism but is now opening up again and becoming one of the great travel experiences and destinations. There are actually numerous 'Silk Roads' between Istanbul in the west and Xian in the east, but generally the route travels through Turkey and Iran to the 'stans' of Central Asia and through western China to Xian. Along the way you'll encounter magnificent medieval Silk Road cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Kashgar and Merv, ancient caravanserai, some startling modern and frankly bizarre cities such as Ashgabat and dramatic desert and mountain landscapes, ideal for trekking, camel riding and staying in traditional yurts. The Silk Road is a journey like no other - challenging, demanding, dramatic and utterly unforgettable.

The complete Silk Road journey from China to Istanbul is a mammoth trip across several countries thousands of kilometres and centuries of history one of the most evocative and memorable travel experiences in the world.

The eastern portion of the Silk Road includes the journey across the vast lands and ancient staging posts of western China and the great Silk Road cities of central Asia in particular Samarkand Bukhara Merv and Khiva.

Connecting the capitals of China and Uzbekistan this route includes the Chinese Silk Road from Xian to Kashgar the stunning mountains and lakes of the Kyrgyzstan landscape and the great medieval cities of Uzbekistan.

A route along the eastern Silk Road of China and Kyrgyzstan that takes in the ancient Chinese capital of Xian and the remarkable Terracotta Warriors Silk Road staging posts such as Lanzhou Dunhuang Kuqa and Kashgar and the wild landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.

The long journey from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to Istanbul explores all the highlights of the Silk Road without the long overland trip through China and includes all the great historic cities of Iran Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

This route takes in the heart of the Silk Road in the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan and includes many of the great historic Silk Road cities modern capitals and the remote wilderness of Kyrgyzstan.

This short route in Central Asia explores the highlights of the contrasting countries of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan the former renowned for its historic cities and monuments and the latter famous for its spectacular and wild landscapes.

The route from Tashkent to Tehran encompasses many of the great historic Silk Road cities such as Samarkand Bukhara Khiva Merv and Yazd - famous for their spectacular palaces mosques and madrassas and their atmospheric bazaars and alleyways.

This short route through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan goes to the heart of the Silk Road following in the footsteps of historic leaders from Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan Tamerlane to the late President Nizayov of Turkmenistan and his futuristic capital of Ashgabat.

An overland trip between Ashgabat and Istanbul explores the highlights of the western end of the Silk Road, either through Iran and its extraordinary cities like Esfahan Yazd and Shiraz or via the Caucauses in Georgia and Armenia.

Guidebooks for this journey from all the major travel publishers are listed below.
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